Tour Itinerary
Backdoor Machu Picchu
YOU'RE GOING DOWN
3,3312m descent down to the Amazon Basin
DAY ONE
Our biking day involves 3312m of vertical descent on a combination of asphalt and dirt roads, taking you from the Andes to the Amazon - the most adventurous way to get to Machu Picchu! From Cusco we head out to Abra Malaga where we start our biking, following the same route that the Inca Ollanta took in the 16th Century, leading his people to escape from the Spanish. Our biking finishes in the small jungle village of Santa Maria.
The equipment we use includes a full suspension US$2500 Kona mountain bike, a Bern Macon mountain bike helmet, full-finger riding gloves, mountain biking goggles from Dragon, "flilthy weather" jacket and trousers, a high-visibility reflective safety vest (purpose made with pockets for you water bottle, camera and snacks) and a custom Gravity Peru Buff scarf to keep your head from freezing and the dust out of your mouth and nose!
THE DAY IN MORE DETAIL:
• Pick up at 6.00am from our sales office in the centre of Cusco or at around 7.30 am in Ollantaytambo.
• Drive to the start of the ride at Abra Málaga munching on the included breakfast & hot drinks.
• At 9 am, we unload bikes and get kitted up.
• At around 9:30 am, we'll be setting out and swooping down, after our fully qualified guides have given an extensive briefing on safety and riding techniques to ensure we all enjoy the ride to the utmost.
• As we descend, we will have frequent stops to enjoy the spectacular views and included snacks & water.
• Riding down, we have opportunities to try short sections of dirt track to practise the riding techniques our guides have explained. They'll be close on hand to give advice and help.
• We mainly keep swooping down a smooth asphalt road until after about 40km when the road turns into a dirt surface.
• We soon arrive at our lunch spot near the Inca ruins of Huamanmarca, which we can visit after lunch.
• We continue riding through the jungle and as the road gets progressively rougher, you'll really appreciate the comfort, stability and control afforded by our high-quality full-suspension Kona mountain bikes.
• We do have a couple of short climbs (but there's more oxygen down there) but we ensure plenty of stops to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Amazon jungle.
• We pass through a variety of local jungle communities before finishing the ride on the outskirts of Santa Maria where we'll have a well-earned celebratory beer (first one is on us!).
• Accompanied by your Gravity Peru Tour Conductor, we then use local transport to drive up the Santa Teresa valley. This interesting hour long journey high up the valley side has some spectacular views.
• Arriving in the quaint jungle town of Santa Teresa, which has a very tragic history, we settle into our basic hostal.
• Those who wish can visit the spectacularly clear blue waters of the local hotsprings (entrance not included) or gently meander around this peaceful town checking out the various options for dinner (not included).
DAY TWO
• After an early breakfast (not included), we take public transport to Hidro Electrica (30 mins).
• From here we have a 2½-3 hour walk along the railway tracks, following the mighty Vilcanota River before arriving at the bustling town of Aguas Calientes.
• After snacking on an early lunch (not included), we meet our specialist Machu Picchu guide and take our bus up to Machu Picchu.
• After our guided tour around the archaelogical site of Machu Picchu, we have time to wonder around on our own to take in the majesty of this beautiful place.
• We then take the bus back down to Puente Ruinas from where we have slightly shorter walk back to Hidroelectrica (2 hours) where local transport will be waiting to take us back to our hostal in Santa Teresa.
DAY THREE
We have the following options:
• Chill out in Santa Teresa soaking up the peaceful atmosphere.
• Take another trip down to the hotsprings and soak in the crystal clear waters (entrance not included).
• Cola De Mono (entrance not included) - one of the highest and longest ziplines in South America. This adrenaline pumping ride consists of 6 sections of zipline totalling nearly 4 kilometres of high wire. Criss-crossing the valley, you begin the ride about 250m above the valley floor and finish at the bottom. Just a 5 minute drive out of St Teresa, you leave at about 9 am and return around midday.
After finishing our mornings activities, we take local transport back to Santa Maria. After lunch (not included), we will climb on board the Gravity bus to head back to Cusco arriving late evening. Please note, if for any reason there is no Gravity Peru trip and hence no Gravity Peru bus at St Maria, we will pay for you to come back to Cusco in a local Starex bus.
About Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking
For more than 10 years Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking has pioneered safety and fun in mountain biking in Bolivia. In 2009 we have brought this to Cusco, Peru. Our commitment to not taking shortcuts may not always be obvious to everyone, but in the background we are constantly checking, training and investing.
With all Gravity rides there are certain things that our quality ensures:
1. Our principal focus is on safety. We run professional and SAFE trips.
2. The customer will ride a professionally maintained high-end full-suspension Kona mountain bike valued at US$2500 (Coiler or Stinky 6 garbanzo model).
3. The customer will be kitted out in the following full safety equipment: a Bern mountain biking helmet, full-fingered mountain biking gloves, Dragon goggles, and a fluorescent safety vest for visibility. PLUS,
for additional comfort, the customer gets a Gravity Buff and has available to wear, if the weather requires it, "filthy weather" jacket and trousers.
4. A guide who has been fully trained in rescue techniques and first aid, who speaks fluent English, who is
an expert rider, and who is passionate about what he or she is doing.
5. That we will bend over backwards to ensure that your clients have a FUN and ENJOYABLE day.
